New York NEV V - Official Report

[Prospero]

My sincere thanks to everyone who showed up yesterday to sling some spells and play Vintage.  We had 26 players, which was a little light, though the percentage of ringers amongst those 26 players was very, very high.  


Full Metagame Breakdown:


Drains:


Golden Gun Oath: 1
Bob/Jace Control: 1
UBW Bomberman: 1
Meandeck Strix Control: 2
Sneak and Show: 1
U/G Landstill: 1
Tezz Control: 1
U/W Bomberman: 1  


Workshops:


Espresso Stax: 1
Martello Shops:  3
Mono Red Shops: 1
Affinity: 1


Null Rods:


Remora RUG: 2
RUG Delver: 2
Noble Fish: 1


Rituals:


Ritual Oath: 2
Forino Sui Black: 1


Bazaars:


Chewer Dredge: 1
3 Decks, 1 Box: 1
Dredge: 1

It’s an interesting field.  It seems like the aggressive strategies have centered around variations on RUG, while the other blue pilots have gone towards more controlling strategies, like Bomberman variants.  


Top Eight Pairings and Results:


Jonathan Varelakis vs. Raffaele Forino – Varelakis wins
Bernie Parisi vs. Matt Murray – Parisi wins
Mike Egan vs. Ryan Glackin – Egan wins
Mike Hajduk vs. Will Magrann – Hajduk wins


Top Four Pairings and Results:


Mike Egan vs. Jonathan Varelakis – Egan wins
Mike Hajduk vs. Bernie Parisi – Hajduk wins


Finals:


Mike Egan vs. Mike Hajduk – Egan wins


Congratulations to Mike Egan, Mike Hajduk, and all of my top eight competitors.


Top Eight Decklists:


1st - Mike Egan
Red Deck Wins (UBW Bomberman)
 
4 Dark Confidant
3 Trinket Mage
2 Auriok Salvagers
2 Snapcaster Mage

4 Force of Will
3 Mana Drain
2 Flusterstorm
2 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
2 Mental Misstep
2 Swords to Plowshares
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Brainstorm
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Nihil Spellbomb
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Spell Snare
1 Thirst for Knowledge
1 Time Vault
1 Time Walk
1 Voltaic Key
1 Yawgmoth's Will
 
4 Flooded Strand
3 Island
3 Tundra
2 Cavern of Souls
2 Underground Sea
1 Black Lotus
1 Library of Alexandria
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Polluted Delta
1 Sol Ring
1 Tolarian Academy
 
SB:

3 Yixlid Jailer
2 Energy Flux
2 Grafdigger's Cage
2 Kataki, War's Wage
1 Flusterstorm
1 Hurkyl's Recall
1 Pithing Needle
1 Plains
1 Steel Sabotage
1 Tormod's Crypt
 
2nd - Mike Hajduk
RUG Delver

4 Delver of Secrets
4 Tarmogoyf
3 Trygon Predator
2 Snapcaster Mage
2 Vendilion Clique
 
4 Force of Will
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Flusterstorm
3 Gush
2 Mental Misstep
2 Preordain
2 Steel Sabotage
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Ancient Grudge
1 Brainstorm
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Ponder
1 Time Walk
 
3 Misty Rainforest
3 Scalding Tarn
3 Tropical Island
3 Volcanic Island
2 Island
1 Black Lotus
1 Mountain
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
 
SB:

4 Grafdigger's Cage
3 Nature's Claim
2 Grim Lavamancer
2 Ingot Chewer
2 Tormod's Crypt
1 Ancient Grudge
1 Forest
 
3rd - Bernie Parisi
Mike Noble Fish (Noble Fish)
 
4 Meddling Mage
4 Noble Hierarch
4 Qasali Pridemage
4 Shardless Agent
3 Tarmogoyf
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Trygon Predator
 
4 Force of Will
4 Grafdigger's Cage
3 Stony Silence
2 Daze
2 Spell Pierce
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Time Walk
 
4 Misty Rainforest
4 Wasteland
3 Tropical Island
3 Tundra
1 Black Lotus
1 Forest
1 Island
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Strip Mine
1 Windswept Heath
 
SB:

4 Ravenous Trap
4 Serenity
2 Dismember
2 Path to Exile
2 Trygon Predator
1 Thrun, the Last Troll
 
4th - Jonathan Varelakis
Golden Gun Oath
 
1 Blightsteel Colossus
1 Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
 
4 Force of Will
4 Oath of Druids
4 Thoughtseize
2 Hurkyl's Recall
2 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
2 Mental Misstep
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Ancient Grudge
1 Beast Within
1 Brainstorm
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Dragon Breath
1 Duress
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Misdirection
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Noxious Revival
1 Ponder
1 Preordain
1 Temporal Mastery
1 Time Walk
1 Tinker
1 Vampiric Tutor
 
4 Forbidden Orchard
4 Misty Rainforest
2 Island
2 Underground Sea
1 Black Lotus
1 Forest
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Polluted Delta
1 Sol Ring
1 Tropical Island
1 Volcanic Island
 
SB:

4 Leyline of the Void
2 Ancient Grudge
2 Nature's Claim
2 Ravenous Trap
1 Mindbreak Trap
1 Pithing Needle
1 Pyroclasm
1 Steel Sabotage
1 Terastodon
 
5th - Raffaele Forino
Martello Shops
 
4 Kuldotha Forgemaster
4 Lodestone Golem
3 Phyrexian Metamorph
3 Phyrexian Revoker
2 Steel Hellkite
1 Duplicant
1 Sundering Titan
 
4 Chalice of the Void
4 Tangle Wire
4 Thorn of Amethyst
3 Sphere of Resistance
1 Trinisphere
 
4 Ancient Tomb
4 Mishra's Factory
4 Mishra's Workshop
4 Wasteland
1 Black Lotus
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Sol Ring
1 Strip Mine
1 Tolarian Academy
 
SB:

4 Grafdigger's Cage
3 Tormod's Crypt
2 Crucible of Worlds
2 Ratchet Bomb
1 Batterskull
1 Duplicant
1 Witchbane Orb
1 Wurmcoil Engine
 
6th - Will Magrann
Martello Shops
 
4 Kuldotha Forgemaster
4 Lodestone Golem
3 Phyrexian Metamorph
3 Phyrexian Revoker
1 Duplicant
1 Steel Hellkite
1 Sundering Titan
 
4 Chalice of the Void
4 Tangle Wire
4 Thorn of Amethyst
3 Sphere of Resistance
1 Trinisphere
 
4 Ancient Tomb
4 Mishra's Factory
4 Mishra's Workshop
4 Wasteland
1 Black Lotus
1 City of Traitors
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Sol Ring
1 Strip Mine
1 Tolarian Academy
 
SB:

4 Tormod's Crypt
3 Nihil Spellbomb
2 Crucible of Worlds
2 Duplicant
2 Ratchet Bomb
1 Witchbane Orb
1 Wurmcoil Engine
 
7th - Ryan Glackin
RUG Delver
 
4 Delver of Secrets
3 Snapcaster Mage
2 Scavenging Ooze
2 Tarmogoyf
2 Trygon Predator
 
4 Force of Will
4 Gush
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Mental Misstep
2 Flusterstorm
2 Preordain
2 Steel Sabotage
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Ancient Grudge
1 Brainstorm
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Ponder
1 Red Elemental Blast
1 Time Walk
 
4 Scalding Tarn
3 Misty Rainforest
3 Tropical Island
3 Volcanic Island
2 Island
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
 
SB:

4 Grafdigger's Cage
3 Nature's Claim
3 Surgical Extraction
2 Ingot Chewer
1 Ancient Grudge
1 Forest
1 Mountain
 
8th - Matthew Murray
UBR Jace-Vault
 
4 Dark Confidant
3 Snapcaster Mage
1 Blightsteel Colossus
 
4 Force of Will
3 Mana Drain
3 Mental Misstep
2 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
2 Lightning Bolt
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Brainstorm
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Flusterstorm
1 Hurkyl's Recall
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Repeal
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Time Vault
1 Time Walk
1 Tinker
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Voltaic Key
1 Yawgmoth's Will
 
4 Scalding Tarn
3 Underground Sea
2 Island
2 Volcanic Island
1 Black Lotus
1 Library of Alexandria
1 Mana Crypt
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Polluted Delta
1 Sol Ring
1 Tolarian Academy
 
SB:

4 Ingot Chewer
4 Leyline of the Void
2 Lightning Bolt
2 Surgical Extraction
1 Flusterstorm
1 Mountain
1 Pithing Needle


Ninth Place Prize:


The ninth place prize was a rather considerable stack of Plague Rats, inscribed with ‘RATS, YOU FINISHED NINTH”, and signed by the top eight.  This inimitable prize was won by Connecticut’s own Scott Hughes.  Congrats, Scott!


Conclusion:


My sincere thanks to Nick Coss, Mike Noble and Bernie Parisi – you guys rock and I couldn’t have run the event without you – to Frank, Gil, Dave, Steve and all of the Brothers Grim staff, and to you, my players, who make Vintage the awesome, tightly knit format that it is – without you, none of this happens.

The dates for July’s events should be set in the next week or so, so keep your eyes peeled for the next tournament announcement!  Until then…

[Ten-Ten]

wow,
congrats on the win Mike

how were the caverns for you?
how often did you vault/key in comparison to salvagers combo?

[Cruel Ultimatum]

wow,
congrats on the win Mike

how were the caverns for you?
how often did you vault/key in comparison to salvagers combo?

Caverns were pretty insane. As always, getting dark confidant into play early is very important, since you draw more cards the more turns its out (new concept I know...) so being able to force one through on turn 1 or 2 is really good. Also, dodging a fight on the salvagers in the late game is nice. I wish I could play more of them, but I dont want to run the risk of not being able to have UU for mana drain when I need it.

As far as vault/key and salvagers combo, very rarely did I win games with either of them. Usually 2/x dorks (still not an aggro deck) or jace won the game. That being said, I think vault key technically won more games.

Also Nick, the spell pierce in my deck was a spell snare.

[Pokey]

Thanks for hosting another a great tournament, Nick!

Mike, did you really cut Mox Emerald for the 17th land (Caverns)?  Also, nice deck name.   

[Cruel Ultimatum]

Thanks for hosting another a great tournament, Nick!

Mike, did you really cut Mox Emerald for the 17th land (Caverns)?  Also, nice deck name.   

I thought landstill was going to show up so lands>off color moxen.

[Prospero]

Thanks for hosting another a great tournament, Nick!

Mike, did you really cut Mox Emerald for the 17th land (Caverns)?  Also, nice deck name.   

I thought landstill was going to show up so lands>off color moxen.

I was very surprised as well.  I certainly expected there to be more than just the one Landstill pilot.  Maybe this really just shows some degree of divergence in the New York metagame versus the New Jersey metagame.  I also expected there to be more than two copies of Rich's Ritual Oath list, but que sera sera.

[quicksilvervii]

Thanks to everyone who made it out to this - it was another fun event.

I also expected to see more oath than there was.  I find it is becoming much harder to change the flex spots in the deck in order to fit the expected meta.  I was expecting shops (traditionally seen at these events in force, though lately losing favor, relative to before) and oath.  Glad to see that vintage is maintaining such diversity.

I await pictures of the ninth place prize to be posted by Mikey Noble in the next few days.

[rpf5029]

Egan, I LOVE Cavern of Souls.  Congratulations for making it work! 

I really like the list overall. If it has Bob, sign me up! 

[psyburat]

I await pictures of the ninth place prize to be posted by Mikey Noble in the next few days.

Plague Rats Ninth Place Prize (NSFW)

Congratulations to Mike on winning the whole damn thing, Bernie for keeping the perfect streak of Shardless Noble Fish making prize running, and everyone else for a wonderful tournament!

[Thecheese]

Penises on the back of rats......reminds me of a south park episode

[Madpeep]

I'm not into dicks, or rats......or even rats with dicks, but it was the funniest 9th place prize ever.  Apparently it was also better than winning the tournament.  150 Plague Rats, 148 of them were Revised, 1 of them was Unlimited, and surprisingly enough 1 from Summer.  Anyone want to buy a Summer Edition Plague Rats?

[KingSquee]

I'm not into dicks, or rats......or even rats with dicks, but it was the funniest 9th place prize ever.  Apparently it was also better than winning the tournament.  150 Plague Rats, 148 of them were Revised, 1 of them was Unlimited, and surprisingly enough 1 from Summer.  Anyone want to buy a Summer Edition Plague Rats?

Wow, really? Nice find! I caught the one Unlimited Rat fairly easily (it has X/X power and toughness instead of */*) but totally missed that one. Can you post a pic of it?

Star City doesn't have any Summer Rats in stock but other crap commons from the set are priced at $100, so yeah, you were the big winner!